Page 34 of Wrestling with Daddy
He’d figure it out soon enough, but Ken was impatient, giddiness running through his veins as he walked past the residential buildings with the groomed lawns and decorative fences.
That landscape soon shifted into less affluent apartments, the divide easy to see as he passed by more local businesses and small cafés that looked their age, not shiny and polished and new to fit an Instagram aesthetic.
Ken found the Mexican restaurant quickly, a hole in the wall kind of place with a big sombrero tilted over big double doors and the words “Juliana’s Mexican Foods” highlighted in blocky red letters.
A blackboard standing by a potted plant near the entrance promised an authentic Mexican experience, two margaritas for the price of one when ordering a three-course meal, and the best nachos in the city according to TripAdvisor.
Ken wasn’t an expert in Mexican cuisine so he wouldn’t know if it was true, but it sounded impressive, if nothing else.
The sound of sneakers dragging through the pavement got his attention, making him swivel on his feet.
He hadn’t been sure it would be Nathan, but there he was, looking like the boy in the pictures who had so much to prove and so little confidence about how to do it.
“Uh, hi.” Nathan forced a smile, but he wasn’t moving.
It proved Ken’s hypothesis right without Nathan even knowing.
“Hi.” Ken cut the distance between the two of them, seeing as Nathan was planning on staying rooted to the spot.
“Fuck, you’re hot.”
Or blurting stuff out, as it seemed, Nathan’s eyes widening and his cheeks reddening before Ken was processing the words.
“Thank you.” It was hard not to laugh in response, but Ken managed, his chest puffing in animalistic pride. “You look very good too, Nathan.”
He did.
Ken was definitely leaning toward that image of the pup walking around the apartment in circles while waiting for his signal to head out.
As cliché as it was, Nathan looked like he’d come out of a magazine. An open coat revealed a button down shirt, tight jeans, and a pair of suspenders that shouldn’t have added to the hotness. They did, though, the bright blue pattern matching his hazel eyes and freckled cheeks ridiculously well.
“Thanks.” Nathan puffed up after a second where he looked endearingly hesitant. “Should we walk in already? If you’re hungry. We can walk around for a bit if you want. I’m good with whatever.”
Ken was trying to gauge Nathan’s stance, to read behind his words and guess what path of action would put the boy most at ease.
He wasn’t expecting the muttered “fuck it” coursing through Nathan’s lips, or the boy’s body pressed against his one second later.
It was rare that boys acted faster than him, that he didn’t see what they were planning from a mile ahead, but it happened.
Ken froze as Nathan’s lips forced themselves against his, hands automatically clutching the back of Ken’s head.
Ken’s hands pulling at his hips notwithstanding.
The kiss was dizzying, not meant for finesse or subtlety. Nathan’s whimper was swallowed by Ken’s very own grunt before he processed what was happening and took the reins again.
The tension was there, thickening the air between the two of them, their heartbeats just as fast as their chests heaved up and down.
“That’s the last time you kiss me without permission, boy.”
There was no bite behind the warning. Ken’s lips tingled in a way he hadn’t felt in longer than he was willing to admit. His whole body thrummed with the thrill of the action, of the stupidly enticing boy standing before him. The walking contradiction, full of bravado and prowess one second, and not quite sure where he stood the very next.
“W-what? But–”
“I liked it,” Ken promised, his hand caressing Nathan’s cheek as if it was second nature already. “But you’re still gonna ask for permission when you want to kiss me.”
“Or what?”
Ken’s eyes narrowed. He didn’t think there was any real malice behind the question, but it hit closer to home than he would’ve expected.
